story: (CNN)Sri Lanka's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa has conceded defeat to rival Maithripala Sirisena in the country's presidential election, bringing an end to a decade of leadership increasingly criticized as corrupt and nepotistic. 
  
  Rajapaksa acknowledged the defeat on his official Twitter account Friday, writing: "I value and respect our democratic process and the people's verdict, and look forward to the peaceful transition of power." 
  
  Sirisena would be sworn in at 6 p.m. local time in Colombo's Independence Square, Dhanushka Ramanayake, the head of his media unit, said. 
  
  The defeat of the once untouchable president, the longest-serving political leader in the region, was the result of a failed electoral gamble. 
  
  In November, the 69-year-old called elections two years earlier than required, only to be shocked by the defection of many key political allies, including the man who would unseat him. 
  
  The defections apparently wrong-footed Rajapaksa, and the opposition had the better of the campaign, say analysts. 
  
  "He didn't expect the candidate to be Sirisena," said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of Sri Lanka's Center for Policy Alternatives. 
  
  "I think he probably underestimated the disaffection in the country and the desire for change." 
  
  Unexpected departure 
  
  Sirisena, 63, served as general-secretary of Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party and health minister in his cabinet, before switching allegiance to a broad opposition alliance that proved to be the former president's most serious political challenge. 
  
  The unwieldy coalition includes the center-right United National Party, the hardline Sinhala Buddhist Jathika Hela Urumaya as well as parties representing the substantial Tamil and Muslim minorities. 
questions: When will Sirisena be sworn in?
questions: Where?
questions: Where is that at?
questions: Who did Sirisena beat in an election?
questions: What was his job?
questions: Of where?
questions: How long did he hold the position?
questions: How does that rank in terms of serving?
questions: Why did he lose?
questions: Did he want the election held earlier than usual?
questions: How many years?
questions: When did he enact this?
questions: Was he surprised about what happened?
questions: How old was he when he made this decision?
questions: Does Sri Lanka have an executive director for policy alternatives?
questions: What is their name?
questions: Which party did Sirisena represent?
questions: Did he hold a cabinet position?
questions: Which one?
questions: Did he switch to another party?
answers: 6 p.m local time.
answers: Sirisena would be sworn in at 6 p.m. local time
answers: Colombo's Independence Square
answers: Sirisena would be sworn in at 6 p.m. local time in Colombo's Independence Square,
answers: Sri Lanka
answers: Sri Lanka's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa has conceded defeat to rival Maithripala Sirisena in the country's presidential election, bringing an end to a decade of leadership increasingly criticized as corrupt and nepotistic. 
answers: Mahinda Rajapaksa
answers: ka's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa has conceded defeat to rival Maithripala Sirisena in the country's presidential election, bringing an end to a decade of leadership increasingly criticized as corrupt and nepotistic. 
  
answers: President.
answers: irisena in the country's presidential
answers: Sri Lanka
answers: Sri Lanka's current president Mahinda Rajapaksa
answers: A decade.
answers:  end to a decade of leadership increasingly criticized as corrupt and nepotistic. 
answers: Longest-serving
answers: , the longest-serving political leader in the region, was the result of a failed electoral gamble. 
answers: Failed electoral gamble
answers:  was the result of a failed electoral gamble. 
answers: Yes
answers:  November, the 69-year-old called elections two years earlier than required,
answers: Two years earlier.
answers: 
  In November, the 69-year-old called elections two years earlier than required
answers: November.
answers: In November, the 69-year-old called elections two years earlier than required
answers: Yes
answers: shocked by the defection of many key political allies, including the man who would unseat him. 
answers: 69
answers: In November, the 69-year-old called elections two years earlier than required,
answers: Yes
answers: 
  "He didn't expect the candidate to be Sirisena," said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of Sri Lanka's Center for Policy Alternatives. 
answers: Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
answers: said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of Sri Lanka's Center for Policy Alternatives. 
answers: Freedom Party
answers: neral-secretary of Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party 
answers: Yes.
answers: health minister in his cabinet
answers: health minister
answers: health minister in his cabinet
answers: Yes,
answers: ance to a broad opposition alliance that proved to be the former president's most serious political challenge. 
  